Blue moon ice cream is quite the culinary mystery. Most signs point to blue moon ice cream being invented in Milwaukee. There's no definitive answer since no one takes credit for inventing it but, wherever it came from, it's definitely a hit in Michigan. Most people associate it with summer funtimes: vacations, camping up north, and bike rides to the local ice cream parlor. I can't remember seeing blue moon ice cream being sold anywhere besides Michigan but I'll let some non-Michiganders inform me otherwise.
What is blue moon? Blue moon is a flavor of ice cream. It's Smurf blue and very mild tasting.
After no response to my inquiry to a local maker of blue moon (ugh, seriously!?), the best info I got was here. Pretty much sums it all up: the mystery of blue moon's origins as well as it's flavor.
My guest this episode is none other than my husband, Chad. I don't remember ever having blue moon ice cream until my teens (when I met Chad). Our local Meijer used to have an ice cream shop in it with blue moon. You can see us discussing what little there is to discuss about blue moon here:
What I find interesting is all the flavor guesses that people think blue moon tastes like:
Vanilla
Lemon
Pistachio
Coconut
Almond
Nutmeg
Marshmallow
Bubble Gum
Cantaloupe or Honeydew Melon
Pineapple
Ginger
Cotton Candy
Blue Curacao
Amaretto
Cake Frosting
Licorice
Various Berries
Froot Loops and Milk
The flavors myself and the general majority of my friends taste are listed in blue. Apparently, there is a pretty darn good recipe for blue moon which uses vanilla, lemon, and raspberry to flavor the ice cream. And whatever flavors are in blue moon ice cream are really, really subtle. Part of me thinks that it's just sweetened cream with coloring and there is no actual flavor.
So no almond flavor in that recipe, but that hint of almond is what inspired me with my Michigan Moon Martini. It's a raspberry martini with a good dose of lemon flavor and a blue moon float. I also think this would work as a boozy milk shake. Same alcohols, more ice cream :)
The Chambord takes it to a more brownish color than I thought it would be but I like how the blue moon scoop makes it own kind of moon fog when it melts.
Most people have memories of blue moon from vacations up north, camping in the summer, and bike rides to the local ice cream parlor. I think that's the fun of blue moon- its nostalgia. Plus that color is so cool. You could totally use it in a fine dining setting as the a la mode to a cherry crumble or local berry pie or even a baked Alaska with it would be way fun.
Here's the recipe:
I hope you enjoyed this little nugget of the midwest and if you haven't already, I hope you get a chance to taste blue moon ice cream. Cheers!